According to a statement issued by the Palace in Amman, the two men discussed the situation in East Jerusalem’s Mosque Square.
Jordan’s King Abdullah received Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today, a rare meeting at this level between leaders of the two neighboring countries, whose relations have been strained in recent years.
According to a statement issued by the Palace in Amman, the two men discussed the situation in the Square of Mosques in East Jerusalem, as Jordan is the official custodian of the Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.
King Abdullah underlined the need for Israel to respect the status of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. He also stressed the “need to respect and not touch the historical and legal status of Mosque Square”, which is the focus of Israeli-Palestinian tensions.
Islam’s third holiest site after Mecca and Medina and Judaism’s holiest, the Square of the Mosques where the Al Aqsa Mosque is located, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, is in the Old City of Jerusalem, in occupied and annexed Israel Palestinian sector.
Netanyahu, who previously served as prime minister from 2009 to 2021, returned to power last month at the head of a coalition that includes far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties.
His far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s brief visit in early January to the site, under tight security, sparked a wave of international condemnation.
Challenge
Under a historical regime, non-Muslims can visit this site at certain times but cannot pray there. In recent years, a growing number of Jews, mostly nationalists, have been praying there in secret, a move denounced as a “provocation” by the Palestinians, Jordan and other countries in the region.
Netanyahu’s office announced for its part that the meeting was about “regional issues” and cooperation between the two countries, which have been linked since 1994 by a peace treaty that ended the state of war between the two countries.
The visit is Netanyahu’s first official trip abroad since taking office. He was accompanied by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Ronen Barr, head of the Shin Bet’s internal security agency, as well as National Security Adviser Tchai Hanegbi and Netanyahu’s military secretary Avi Gil, according to an Israeli official.
The last known meeting between Abdullah II and Netanyahu was in 2018.
Jordan’s king, who has repeatedly described peace with Israel as a “cold peace”, had assessed in 2019 that relations were “at rock bottom”.
According to the Israeli announcement, Abdullah II and Netanyahu “focused on the strategic cooperation, in the fields of economy and security, between Israel and Jordan, which contributes to strengthening regional stability.”
Israeli officials have repeatedly emphasized that relations with Jordan are vital to Israel’s security.
Israeli former Defense Minister Benny Ganz had met Abdullah II in Amman in January 2022, less than a month after former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s visit.
Stop the violence
In November 2021, Jordan and Israel reached an agreement that allows the Hashemite kingdom to provide solar power to the Jewish state, which in return must provide desalinated water to its neighboring country, much of which is desert.
Since the beginning of the year, the Jordanian Foreign Ministry has summoned the Israeli ambassador to Amman twice, the first to protest Ben Gvir’s visit to Mosque Square, and the second because an Israeli police officer prevented the Jordanian ambassador from entering that area .
The King of Jordan today underlined “the need to stop the violence to pave the way (…) for the peace process”.
He also called for “an end to any measures that may jeopardize opportunities for peace”, reiterating “Jordan’s steadfast position in favor of a two-state solution”, Israeli and Palestinian, co-existing side by side “in peace and security”. .
Jordan is a staunch ally of Washington and is home to many people of Palestinian origin. It is hoped that the administration of US President Joe Biden will pressure Israel to maintain the status quo at the Al-Aqsa mosque, whose maintenance is paid for by Jordan.
Officials told Reuters that King Abdullah is expected to visit Washington in late January. He will hold talks with high-ranking US officials and will likely meet with Biden and raise the issue of Jerusalem and ways to advance the Middle East peace process.
The assumption of power in Israel by the most right-wing government in the country’s history is raising fears of a military escalation in the occupied West Bank, where 18 Palestinians have been killed since early January, according to an AFP tally.
RES-EMP
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With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
